The Portland daily press., 1887-05-30
PROFESSOR ROBERTS.
The Famous Superintendent of the
Boston Y. M. C. A. cymnasium-The
New System of Physical Training.
[Springfield Repuhllcan.l

lie calls his pupils his ''patients" and diff
fers from most instructors in that he will
notpay his whole attention to a few success
full performers, but looks after the needs
OF all. 1t is interesting to watch him con-
duct the class drill on the floor. Beginning
with movements for the legs, exercises fol-
low for the shoulders body, arms and pos
terror muscles. The circulation is started by
shoulder work, the arms being swung at full
length in front of the body and swung in a
circle from the shoulder, while the instructor
counts. The body is raised on the toes and
the toes are thrown apart resting the foot on
the heel
More complicated movements follow with
dumb bells including extension work, where
you stand firmly and reaching the arms out
at full length in front, touch the bells to the
floor. Between the movements the pupils
are asked to hold the hands high over the
head to expand the lower walls of the chest
While it looks easy enough to hold the dumb
bells high over the head with the knuckles
forward, it takes an effort to keep them a
minute Breathings are practiced for the
lungs and chopping the bells from over the
shoulder down between the legs, strengthens
the IONS. Each movement is continued for
- counts and the entire exercise does not
last more than 80 minutes During each
movement the professor watches his pupils
closely. If he notices that the work has
depressing effect on performer, he calls him
aside and studies into the cause. AS the
class becomes familiar with the movements
and able to go through them without laming
themselves, the counts are made more rapid
ly, and when well under way the pupils per-
spire freely and finish the exercise with the
system in glow. Graduated baths follow,
beginning with warm and ending with cold
water and brisk rubbing down. Every
man is carefully prepared for the exercise by
being submitted to complete measurements.
schedule is given the pupil, calling atten-
ton to special work needed to fill out certain
dehclencies and this work is generally taken
up after the class drill and usually consists
OF movements as simple as the dumb bell
exercise. For those who wish it, drill on
the heavy apparatus follows, with exercises
on the parallel bars. rings and horizontal
bar For good health Prof. Roberts recon-
mends this exercise of 80 minutes or more
every day, and home exercises for five or ten
minutes morning and night. He advises
rapid movements in rising to arouse the sys-
which viii induce sleep. This method is in
no sense for training professional performers
or competitive athletes, but to build up
body which will he sound and reliable in
aiding man to perform his daily work
For eight years Prof. Roberts studied ar
tlstic anatomy under Prof Rimmer and his
ideals of physical beauty conform to the old
Greclan conception of symmetry. To bis
practiced eye. the athlete with his muscles
standing out in stringy masses is deformed
and prematurely old and ugly. He strives to
secure delicate balancing of the muscles,
and not allow few prominent ones to offset
others and draw the body out of shape. For
instance he will make man develop his
back arm as much as the front, and secure a
symmetrical and well rounded member not
one where the muscle is massed in front. BY
developing the muscles of his back and loins
he has filled out his own chest and abdomen
to well rounded proportions which contrast
with the contracted waist of the ordinary
athlete. 1t took him years to learn what he
can now teach in three minutes. With pa
tlent study and constant reference to STAN
dard work on anatomy, he picked out the
limitations and cultivated them to high
stage of perfection.
With pair of dumb-bells he would work
each muscle OF the arm by peculiar move
ment that brought 1t into play until it was
tired and then when it became lame. he could
trace its cause and discover how best to
bring 1t into action.
With all his enthusiasm and theories. how
ever, Prof. Roberts is an intensely practical
man. In speaking OF the so-ealled Roberts
system" OF floor work, he says: II don't
call 1t the Roberts SYSTEM don't believe in
any rigid set of rules, for am constantly
learning new things.I do not always insist on
my way either. for find that my pupils are
constantly teaching me. That is the fault of
the German gymnastie system with all its
excellent qualities-it is too inhexible. The
turner's recognize the defects but the rules
are too iron-clad to change them. They do
not introduce baths into their work, and /
consider that failure as very important,
Then | don't go in for fancy movements. /
believe that every exercise must be safe.
beneficial, easy, short and pleasing What
do think OF out-ot-door sports? Why be-
lieve in them fully. have just been down
on your beautiful pond at the Watershops
and hope to enjoy rowing there frequently
You know that the most complete and per-
feet exercise to bring the most muscles in
play and at the same time keep the body i'm a
natural position is breast swimming Some
people think that walking does as well, how
ever But you cannot swim all the year